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    Madrid vs Phnom Penh: A Complete Data-Driven Comparison

    ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ

    Madrid

    Spain ยท $2,300/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad
    ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ญ

    Phnom Penh

    Cambodia ยท $700/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad

    Choosing between Madrid, Spain and Phnom Penh, Cambodia is one of the most common dilemmas facing digital nomads, expats, and remote workers in 2026. Both cities offer unique advantages. But the right choice depends entirely on your priorities, budget, and lifestyle preferences.

    In this comprehensive comparison, we analyze Madrid and Phnom Penh across 12 critical categories: Economic Factors, Quality of Life, Infrastructure & Connectivity, Housing & Living Spaces, and 8 more categories. Each category is scored on a 0-100 scale using data from over 20 verified sources, including Numbeo, WHO, Speedtest, and local government statistics.

    Madrid earns an overall score of 76.43/100, while Phnom Penh scores 63.01/100. A 13.42-point significant gap that Madrid leads. But headline scores never tell the full story. Let's break down exactly where each city excels and where it falls short.

    Madrid is described as: "Vibrant Spanish capital perfect for digital nomads: enjoy tapas culture, stunning architecture, excellent internet, and easy EU travel from a lively, walkable city." Meanwhile, Phnom Penh is known as: "Cambodia's rapidly developing capital. Ultra-cheap with a growing expat scene." These reputations are earned. But how do they hold up under rigorous data analysis? Read on.

    Economic Factors

    Madrid

    69
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    69

    In economic factors, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 69/100 compared to 69/100. This category covers employment & income, cost factors, economic environment.

    Madrid has a solid advantage in employment & income (68 vs 53).

    Madrid stands out for currency stability, healthcare costs, banking system, though housing costs and tax rates could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in daily living costs and housing costs despite the overall gap.

    Employment & Income

    Madrid

    68
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    53

    Job Market Strength

    68/ 10048

    Salary Levels

    59/ 10037

    Freelance/Remote Work Market

    74/ 10072

    Entrepreneurship Environment

    71/ 10056

    Cost Factors

    Madrid

    70
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    78

    Housing Costs

    38/ 10088

    Daily Living Costs

    64/ 10091

    Transportation Costs

    82/ 10087

    Entertainment Costs

    73/ 10082

    Healthcare Costs

    89/ 10076

    Education Costs

    76/ 10042

    Economic Environment

    Madrid

    68
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    73

    Tax Rates

    42/ 10079

    Business Regulations

    54/ 10058

    Economic Stability

    67/ 10074

    Currency Stability

    91/ 10088

    Banking System

    85/ 10064

    Quality of Life

    Madrid

    75
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    54

    In quality of life, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 75/100 compared to 54/100. This category covers healthcare, education, safety & environment, climate & nature.

    Madrid has a solid advantage in healthcare (78 vs 66). Madrid has a commanding lead in education (84 vs 60). Madrid has a commanding lead in safety & environment (72 vs 49).

    Madrid stands out for water quality, language schools, healthcare affordability, though beach/water access and noise pollution could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in english-speaking medical staff and healthcare affordability despite the overall gap.

    Healthcare

    Madrid

    78
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    66

    Healthcare Quality

    88/ 10064

    Healthcare Accessibility

    84/ 10068

    Healthcare Affordability

    92/ 10077

    English-Speaking Medical Staff

    63/ 10079

    Mental Health Services

    61/ 10046

    Dental Care

    78/ 10061

    Education

    Madrid

    84
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    60

    School Quality

    77/ 10067

    International Schools

    86/ 10074

    Universities

    89/ 10051

    Language Schools

    94/ 10063

    Vocational Training

    72/ 10043

    Safety & Environment

    Madrid

    72
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    49

    Crime Rates

    76/ 10053

    Personal Safety

    83/ 10063

    Political Stability

    74/ 10072

    Natural Disaster Risk

    92/ 10047

    Air Quality

    52/ 10038

    Water Quality

    95/ 10032

    Noise Pollution

    31/ 10041

    Climate & Nature

    Madrid

    68
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    45

    Climate Suitability

    74/ 10059

    Sunshine Hours

    88/ 10068

    Rainfall Patterns

    79/ 10049

    Natural Beauty

    62/ 10054

    Green Spaces

    81/ 10044

    Beach/Water Access

    15/ 10022

    Mountains/Hiking

    77/ 10018

    Infrastructure & Connectivity

    Madrid

    77
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    61

    In infrastructure & connectivity, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 77/100 compared to 61/100. This category covers transportation, connectivity, digital infrastructure.

    Madrid has a solid advantage in transportation (70 vs 52). Madrid has a commanding lead in connectivity (83 vs 55).

    Madrid stands out for airport connectivity, public transport quality, train connections, though car ownership necessity and traffic congestion could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in public transport affordability and internet cost despite the overall gap.

    Transportation

    Madrid

    70
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    52

    Public Transport Quality

    94/ 10049

    Public Transport Coverage

    92/ 10046

    Public Transport Affordability

    86/ 10089

    Bike Infrastructure

    58/ 10024

    Walkability

    89/ 10039

    Traffic Congestion

    44/ 10031

    Driving Conditions

    61/ 10036

    Taxi/Rideshare

    87/ 10084

    Car Ownership Necessity

    22/ 10071

    Connectivity

    Madrid

    83
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    55

    Airport Connectivity

    96/ 10071

    Airport Distance

    88/ 10078

    Train Connections

    93/ 10019

    Bus Connections

    90/ 10069

    Ferry Connections

    50/ 10037

    Digital Infrastructure

    Madrid

    83
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    78

    Internet Speed

    91/ 10086

    Internet Reliability

    89/ 10079

    Internet Cost

    72/ 10088

    Mobile Network Quality

    93/ 10087

    Coworking Spaces

    85/ 10071

    Public WiFi

    68/ 10058

    Housing & Living Spaces

    Madrid

    62
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    In housing & living spaces, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 70/100 compared to 62/100. This category covers housing market, neighborhoods.

    Phnom Penh has a solid advantage in housing market (70 vs 52).

    Phnom Penh stands out for rental costs, purchase prices, expat/international areas, though landlord regulations and housing quality could be improved. Madrid performs well in proximity to amenities and neighborhood diversity despite the overall gap.

    Housing Market

    Madrid

    52
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    Rental Availability

    34/ 10076

    Rental Costs

    36/ 10089

    Purchase Prices

    39/ 10084

    Housing Quality

    71/ 10054

    Housing Variety

    78/ 10066

    Landlord Regulations

    56/ 10052

    Neighborhoods

    Madrid

    76
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    Neighborhood Diversity

    84/ 10069

    Expat/International Areas

    82/ 10078

    Gentrification Trends

    41/ 10057

    Proximity to Amenities

    95/ 10074

    Daily Life & Services

    Madrid

    85
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    71

    In daily life & services, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 85/100 compared to 71/100. This category covers shopping & retail, food & dining, essential services, utilities & connectivity.

    Madrid has a solid advantage in shopping & retail (89 vs 70). Madrid has a solid advantage in essential services (84 vs 67). Madrid has a solid advantage in utilities & connectivity (81 vs 65).

    Madrid stands out for alcohol availability, pharmacy density, water reliability, though street food and utility costs could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in street food and restaurant affordability despite the overall gap.

    Shopping & Retail

    Madrid

    89
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    Supermarket Availability

    96/ 10071

    Shopping Mall Quantity

    88/ 10064

    Shopping Mall Quality

    87/ 10062

    International Brands

    94/ 10066

    Local Markets

    92/ 10087

    Opening Hours

    79/ 10076

    E-commerce

    84/ 10061

    Food & Dining

    Madrid

    84
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    83

    Restaurant Variety

    95/ 10083

    Restaurant Quality

    93/ 10076

    Restaurant Affordability

    74/ 10091

    Cafรฉ Culture

    89/ 10079

    Street Food

    48/ 10094

    Alcohol Availability

    98/ 10078

    Food Delivery

    91/ 10078

    Essential Services

    Madrid

    84
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    67

    Pharmacy Density

    98/ 10079

    24-Hour Pharmacies

    94/ 10059

    Medicine Availability

    92/ 10071

    Postal Services

    71/ 10054

    Banking Services

    82/ 10073

    Laundry Services

    76/ 10069

    Repair Services

    68/ 10064

    Hair Salons/Barbers

    94/ 10081

    Pet Services

    83/ 10052

    Utilities & Connectivity

    Madrid

    81
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    65

    Electricity Reliability

    94/ 10069

    Water Reliability

    97/ 10064

    Utility Costs

    55/ 10083

    Heating/Cooling

    74/ 10057

    Waste Management

    86/ 10051

    Cultural & Social Life

    Madrid

    86
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    60

    In cultural & social life, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 86/100 compared to 60/100. This category covers culture & entertainment, social life, community.

    Madrid has a commanding lead in culture & entertainment (89 vs 58). Madrid has a commanding lead in social life (89 vs 57).

    Madrid stands out for museums & galleries, nightlife quality, lgbtq+ scene, though language barriers and expat integration could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in local friendliness and historical sites despite the overall gap.

    Culture & Entertainment

    Madrid

    89
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    58

    Museums & Galleries

    98/ 10061

    Historical Sites

    92/ 10084

    Theaters & Performing Arts

    91/ 10041

    Music Scene

    86/ 10059

    Cinema Options

    84/ 10064

    Libraries

    82/ 10042

    Art Scene

    89/ 10052

    Social Life

    Madrid

    89
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    57

    Nightlife Quality

    97/ 10068

    Nightlife Safety

    85/ 10054

    Festival Calendar

    88/ 10071

    Sports Culture

    95/ 10049

    Social Clubs

    79/ 10061

    Dating Scene

    83/ 10056

    LGBTQ+ Scene

    96/ 10041

    Community

    Madrid

    76
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    67

    Local Friendliness

    81/ 10089

    Expat Community Size

    87/ 10064

    Expat Integration

    76/ 10069

    Language Barriers

    46/ 10049

    Cultural Events

    92/ 10066

    Professional & Career

    Madrid

    78
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    65

    In professional & career, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 78/100 compared to 65/100. This category covers business environment, work environment, market opportunities.

    Madrid has a commanding lead in business environment (82 vs 53).

    Madrid stands out for time zone, internet for work, major companies, though competition level and business visa options could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in business visa options and internet for work despite the overall gap.

    Business Environment

    Madrid

    82
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    53

    Industry Clusters

    81/ 10046

    Major Companies

    86/ 10041

    Startup Ecosystem

    78/ 10055

    Coworking Culture

    85/ 10070

    Professional Networking

    82/ 10054

    Business Associations

    79/ 10051

    Work Environment

    Madrid

    79
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    81

    Work-Life Balance

    74/ 10078

    Remote Work Acceptance

    68/ 10074

    Internet for Work

    92/ 10089

    Time Zone

    95/ 10071

    Business Visa Options

    64/ 10091

    Market Opportunities

    Madrid

    68
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    65

    Client Base

    78/ 10052

    Freelance Market

    71/ 10071

    Competition Level

    55/ 10073

    Lifestyle & Pace

    Madrid

    71
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    64

    In lifestyle & pace, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 71/100 compared to 64/100. This category covers daily rhythm, lifestyle options, tourism impact.

    Madrid has a commanding lead in lifestyle options (80 vs 56).

    Madrid stands out for weekend culture, tourist infrastructure, family orientation, though dining hours and tourist volume could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in pace of life and authenticity despite the overall gap.

    Daily Rhythm

    Madrid

    69
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    73

    Pace of Life

    68/ 10081

    Working Hours Culture

    64/ 10069

    Dining Hours

    35/ 10072

    Shop Opening Hours

    82/ 10075

    Weekend Culture

    95/ 10068

    Lifestyle Options

    Madrid

    80
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    56

    Outdoor Lifestyle

    86/ 10051

    Fitness Culture

    79/ 10054

    Health Consciousness

    74/ 10049

    Pet Friendliness

    72/ 10058

    Family Orientation

    91/ 10069

    Tourism Impact

    Madrid

    63
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    64

    Tourist Volume

    38/ 10062

    Tourism Seasonality

    65/ 10053

    Tourist Infrastructure

    94/ 10068

    Authenticity

    78/ 10079

    Crowding

    42/ 10057

    Legal & Administrative

    Madrid

    68
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    57

    In legal & administrative, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 68/100 compared to 57/100. This category covers visa & residency, administration, rights & freedoms.

    Madrid has a commanding lead in rights & freedoms (90 vs 51).

    Madrid stands out for lgbtq+ rights, deportation risk, women's rights, though bureaucracy level and residency process could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in visa requirements and residency options despite the overall gap.

    Visa & Residency

    Madrid

    64
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    Visa Requirements

    58/ 10090

    Residency Options

    69/ 10084

    Residency Process

    32/ 10076

    Citizenship Pathway

    65/ 10021

    Deportation Risk

    95/ 10081

    Administration

    Madrid

    49
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    51

    Bureaucracy Level

    24/ 10039

    Digital Government

    71/ 10053

    Document Requirements

    36/ 10059

    Language Requirements

    42/ 10054

    Legal System

    74/ 10049

    Rights & Freedoms

    Madrid

    90
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    51

    Freedom of Speech

    88/ 10033

    Religious Freedom

    92/ 10071

    Women's Rights

    93/ 10062

    LGBTQ+ Rights

    96/ 10038

    Worker Rights

    81/ 10052

    Family & Children

    Madrid

    79
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    63

    In family & children, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 79/100 compared to 63/100. This category covers child-friendly infrastructure, family services.

    Madrid has a commanding lead in child-friendly infrastructure (89 vs 59).

    Madrid stands out for playgrounds, kid activities, pediatric care, though school holidays and family housing could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in family housing and childcare costs despite the overall gap.

    Child-Friendly Infrastructure

    Madrid

    89
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    59

    Playgrounds

    94/ 10051

    Kid Activities

    92/ 10062

    Child Safety

    88/ 10064

    Pediatric Care

    89/ 10066

    Baby/Toddler Facilities

    81/ 10053

    Family Services

    Madrid

    69
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    66

    Childcare Availability

    78/ 10061

    Childcare Costs

    67/ 10071

    School Holidays

    55/ 10062

    Extracurricular Activities

    88/ 10065

    Family Housing

    58/ 10072

    Practical Considerations

    Madrid

    77
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    62

    In practical considerations, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 77/100 compared to 62/100. This category covers transportation costs, special services, communication, emergency services.

    Madrid has a solid advantage in special services (77 vs 60). Madrid has a commanding lead in communication (81 vs 61). Madrid has a commanding lead in emergency services (91 vs 65).

    Madrid stands out for emergency numbers, language learning, international calling, though fuel prices and vehicle costs could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in emergency numbers and gas station density despite the overall gap.

    Transportation Costs

    Madrid

    62
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    62

    Fuel Prices

    48/ 10076

    Gas Station Density

    82/ 10079

    EV Infrastructure

    66/ 10024

    Vehicle Costs

    54/ 10062

    Vehicle Maintenance

    62/ 10071

    Special Services

    Madrid

    77
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    60

    Moving Services

    79/ 10059

    Storage Facilities

    64/ 10049

    Translation Services

    87/ 10068

    Legal Services

    81/ 10064

    Accounting Services

    76/ 10061

    Communication

    Madrid

    81
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    61

    Postal Reliability

    79/ 10055

    Package Import

    58/ 10052

    Language Learning

    96/ 10059

    International Calling

    92/ 10079

    Emergency Services

    Madrid

    91
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    65

    Emergency Response

    89/ 10061

    Emergency Healthcare

    91/ 10069

    Emergency Numbers

    98/ 10080

    Natural Disaster Preparedness

    84/ 10048

    Specific to Your Profile

    Madrid

    80
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    62

    In specific to your profile, Madrid takes the lead with a score of 80/100 compared to 62/100. This category covers remote work specific, personal circumstances.

    Madrid has a commanding lead in personal circumstances (78 vs 56).

    Madrid stands out for time zone alignment, hobby availability, video call quality, though language skills and cafรฉ laptop culture could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in video call quality and cafรฉ laptop culture despite the overall gap.

    Remote Work Specific

    Madrid

    82
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    72

    Time Zone Alignment

    95/ 10070

    Coworking Day Passes

    82/ 10069

    Cafรฉ Laptop Culture

    67/ 10083

    Video Call Quality

    89/ 10084

    Tech Ecosystem

    76/ 10052

    Personal Circumstances

    Madrid

    78
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    56

    Citizenship Advantages

    84/ 10049

    Partner Citizenship Advantages

    79/ 10041

    Industry Presence

    82/ 10050

    Language Skills

    44/ 10047

    Religious/Cultural Fit

    88/ 10069

    Dietary Requirements

    85/ 10073

    Hobby Availability

    94/ 10064

    Pet Import Rules

    71/ 10053

    The Verdict: Madrid or Phnom Penh?

    With an overall score of 76.43/100 versus 63.01/100, Madrid leads on paper. But the "better" city ultimately depends on what matters most to you.

    Madrid excels in quality of life, infrastructure & connectivity, daily life & services. Phnom Penh leads in housing & living spaces.

    Use our interactive comparison tool to drill deeper into specific metrics. No single ranking captures the complexity of choosing a new home. But data-driven analysis gives you the best starting point.

    Dive Deeper with Our Interactive Tool

    See the full data breakdown with live filtering and side-by-side analysis.

    Compare Madrid vs Phnom Penh Live